by Ron Foster
“I am just not following you man, what’s up with the weird guards and this screw you attitude they got?” Ray said angrily.
“Calm down my friend. We have known each other for a long time; I will find something for you. Don’t forget I helped you get this job, only thing that has changed between us is that we are now no longer a cost conscience capitalist business making missile components but instead now are something of a hybrid enterprise which I will call an evolving part of a bureaucracy that is being created by federal and state war power acts that confuses the hell out of everyone.” Paul said trying to control the rising anger that was evident in his lifelong friend.
“Screw that! Do I have a job or not, Paul?” An evidently frustrated and put out Ray responded.
“In a just a singular word or answer I will tell you No, not at this time. Hear me out now before you start you’re bitching and getting all huffy and leaving before I can explain. This nonunion shop was up for a labor union at one time and the workers voted it out, now none of that matters anymore because we find ourselves stuck in the here and now. This facility is under the direct command of, for lack of a better word, Presidential decree as afforded by the Executive Emergency Powers acts that you don’t need to be reminded of. No one really knows who is in charge of what, or for that matter anything else these days because the so called interim established State and Federal governments have already pretty much figured out how to be contrary to or good at confounding or countermanding any order given by corporate or State government to run their own business. It is a pissing contest as to who is control of what and who follows and who leads who down this garden path of destruction, let us just say that when foreign troops suddenly appeared to “assist us” the cat was let out of the bag and I find myself in a “do or die situation” that I am feeling my way through as a continuity of government response situation which we are going to get stuck living with and under for longer than I care to think about. All of the sudden I have blank orders to surrender my command or my control over things and a whole bunch of party line reinforcement type meetings I need to attend where some big wig calls the hour and the day and I am told to follow this or that’s agencies program or be replaced.” Paul said looking miffed but still scared of those in authority and trying to play the game like the good little follower he always was.
“So maybe the new world order doesn’t like us old soldiers anymore you are trying to say? They just soon not have us around making any waves and are abolishing the hire the Vet first employment rules.” Ray said, considering his dangers as well as chances of being gainfully employed.
“Well I am not saying that at all. “Paul said hurrying to check the window again like someone now must surely have had their ear to it and was eavesdropping.
“It only means Ray that the rules are, shall we say, right now a bit more plastic or liquid and flexible regarding key contractor businesses.” Paul said unconsciously wringing his hands at the notion.
“Ok then, Paul, I am reporting for work at your invite and your civilian company’s contract, you say there is no work because of the calamity and for me to wait for further approval by some state or federal board. Is that right, buddy?” Ray said flipping a bird at the aide who seemed to be forever trying to remind him with hand gestures that they were being recorded.
“Christ on a crutch, if there was some kind of a listening device in here then most likely it was a sure thing that in these days and times of modern technology that there was also video camera to go with it in here somewhere they had not considered and this hand sign hush farce they were doing was total crap.” Ray considered.
“You know we been buddies a long time, your place is here if I can get you approved for a workers pass. “Paul began before a loud snort of derision came from Ray.
“Evidently they seem to have got you by the balls boy, tell me straight now, do I have the job I contracted for or not? It is as simple as that, just say yes or no.” Ray responded looking adamant about what kind of answer that he expected.
A very uncomfortable Paul minded as well as minced his words carefully and squeaked out that Ray must first sign on to the “Affiliated Workers” union roster under the emergency powers act in order to be considered for a position at the plant now.
“What in the F~ing hell is an affiliated workers union? Some kind of federalized workers union, some kind of weird crap they dreamed up when they were dinking around with General Motors or putting the boots to the scope dopes in the flight towers?” Ray said watching his dreams of retirement and a better life disappear.
“It’s a swearing in thing, just like you did with your oath when you joined the military.” The aide said before an “I will kill you look” furrowed the brow of Paul for him to speak no further of oaths or promises.
“It means Ray in a nut shell that officially the Federal government has now set wages, worker benefits etc. and if you’re ok with that you must evidence it by adopting the new Constitution and taking a pledge to abide by all executive orders during this emergency if you want to remain under consideration for the job.” Paul concluded.
Paul then quickly advised Ray not to make any kind of a decision in haste and stressed that he should go home and take for himself a few days to think it over before giving any kind of response either negative or positive. Paul then nervously but visibly looked around the room to remind him that they were being monitored and to heed his advice. Paul soon after that appeared like a balloon someone had let the air out of and seemed to be relieved now much to his evident chagrin and discomfort that he finally had gotten everything out in the open and that this meeting would soon be over for better or worse. He didn’t care, get Ray out of his office and resume his safe existence like a fish in a bowl doing nothing and saying nothing to upset his meal ticket.
Ray paused and put both thumbs in a rubbing motion to his eyes and advised he would indeed have to think things over before making any decisions as momentous as this and thanked them both for their time and consideration. I will come by your house in a couple days Paul and we can share a cup of coffee and share some news. This place just doesn’t appear to be as comfortable as it used to be.” Ray advised pointedly.
“Oh I can understand you not wanting to come visit me here Ray but I am afraid I don’t get home much these days. I need be around here to help with administrative duties as well as my lab.” Paul said putting on a brave front for his pal.
“You want me to check on your wife Martha?” Ray offered thinking perhaps he could maybe learn the real story about what was going on from her and away from these prying eyes and listening ears.
“Oh I am sorry, Ray, I forgot to tell you that we temporarily have moved closer to this facility. All the workers here for that matter have. You know it’s a matter of requisitioning gas and food these days and you can’t have critical people and workers spread out all over the county. You know the old budget mobile home sales lot right before you get to the University? FEMA took that over and is housing whatever transportation workers they need and their families over there. Me and Martha are staying on the university campus with assorted executives from other businesses as well as providing a safe place for various first responders and their families. It’s like a big village actually but you need a pass to travel by or go in there. I will get my secretary to get you one while you think over whether or not you want to join the new Gemini family. Oh by the way, I forgot to tell you that even if you live closer than the university to this place, you will most likely be asked to move off your property and join us in a for lack of a better word “gated community”. Paul said, letting the implications of such a move sink in that he doubted his old war buddy could stand to abide by.
“Shit must be hitting the fan pretty bad out there? Anything I need to know Paul? It wasn’t too bad getting through Montgomery but I was wearing my uniform and just sort of got waved through any check points. What does the real city of Troy look like brother? I ain`t had a chance to make
it that far you know.” Ray said solemnly.
“It is not a place you want to get off the main drag at, let’s put it that way. The main drag of this college town is pretty short as you know but it is also a main artery of the hurricane evacuation routes coming out of Florida. Normal evacuations our small police force used to be able to take in stride and get the state troopers and sheriffs and such to help out with. Right now the road from the Holiday Inn at the interstate, the entrance to alternate 185 to Florida and 231 to Dothan looks like the crossing of the old war era of East and West Germany or the DMZ in Korea. Stay away from there and be sure you got some kind of something evidencing you are a local resident.” Paul advised with a raised eyebrow and called a suspicious sudden halt to any further conversation because he was very busy today and that he looked forward to talking to Ray at a later date this week.
“This can’t be happening!” Reds in control of security at factories in the US? Old soldier’s Kowtowing and accepting a new Constitution without fight or complaint? This shit was unreal!” Ray thought as he was summarily escorted back to the golf cart and off the property.
“He has a lot on his mind Ray.” The aide offered as an excuse to Ray as he got into his vehicle scowling and fired it up but not before a momentary look back at a tarp that he now knew to have been removed and placed back on haphazardly caused him more grief and anger as to what had just occurred.
“So do I, Private.” Ray quipped and made haste to get the hell out of there and home as fast as he could.
2
SPIDERS AND LIARS
“So are you considering going back to the plant or might you be not even considering going back there at all, Ray?” David asked studying the old war vet who he had not had dealings with before.
“I am trying to decide, danged cousin of mine whisked me over here before I even had time to digest what has happened already. He said you might have some insights into what’s going on we needed to talk about.” Ray said putting the weight of the world on David’s shoulders to answer.
“Ah hell, Man, you are putting me on the spot. That is one hairy ass and scary situation that I never really ever thought could happen while my blood was still flowing. There have been many rumors of Russian troops being deployed over here on U.S. military bases for years but I always thought that they were just training with FEMA for mutual aid and emergency assistance for dealing with a world threatening or impacting catastrophic disaster. I never really gave it much serious thought that they would be actually used for or trained on our soil for security or law enforcement to suppress dissention or opposition of a ruling faction. I am sure it has some mad man’s philosophical or could be religious notion of what to do with continuity of government plans so they can try to quell social unrest, but using foreign troops? That is a fools bet at best. To even house and feed UN troops on US soil is treasonous to me. Take the frigging job if you are not taking a side between light and dark at the moment. New Constitution my ass and add I said in a pigs eye! Who is crazier at the moment, me and those who quote that there is no question of justification because in our hearts and minds that an immortal declaration was once made that; “We hold these truths to be self-evident” is more worthy of defending today than ever? The militias will be going crazy and rightly so at the moment fighting for a cause without real leadership and wasting their lives. I know it sounds cool to get yourself a job Ray in this hellish situation we find ourselves in, but please try to weigh other options if you can. I can understand maybe thinking that taking an all or none attitude ain’t the right thing to do at the moment if it means starving, but let’s talk this out. On the one hand you say government has grabbed control of everything they can think of from fisheries and farms to national defense and gasohol, on the other hand folks like me and you believe it’s a constitutional matter and will support so called subversive ideas of taking our government back.” David said still shocked at the news and trying to figure out just what all the implications of having foreign troops just up the road in his close proximity might mean.
After a second or two of pondering further, David broached the subject about road conditions under the mandated marshal law. Hell he figured he had to leave for a bit anyway he just might make it permanent if the Gestapo had just moved up the road.
“Dusk to dawn curfew is the order of the day unless you have a pass with all the right stamps and seals to go to a relocation camp and be taken in. No gas allowances or subsistence allocations unless you are on and headed down a mandated evacuation route and can find a relief truck with anything left to fill you up. A lot of relocation or evacuation busses and some military convoy traffic get what they need first. I didn’t see hardly a car out on the road from here all the way to Montgomery today traveling down. I saw only a cop car or two in the city proper heading this way and they were mostly parked waiting on a call from the dispatcher I guess. Military bases are officially closed for entry or exit to anyone but active duty personnel. I tried myself every gate to get on Maxwell Air Force base or Gunter to see if the commissary was still operating but they turned me around at the gate and refused me flat out.” Ray groused about the ordeal of trying to seek military assistance in his time of need.
“I told my cousin about our mutual hunting and trapping deal. David. Ray is a pretty good hunter when it comes to deer and I told him we all needed to team up to try and get through this by sharing our luck and skills.” Michael advised trying to gain David’s acceptance to what to him was currently a stranger in their fold..
“I need to talk to you about that further, Michael. Lots of surprises are happening today I haven’t had a chance to inform you about yet. I had a phone call from a friend the other day and it seems I need to go on a mission and help some folks out of a bad situation if I can manage it.” David said watching the confusion and mixed emotions from Ray and Michael from his last statement.
“How long are you going to be gone? I mean hell man; this is awful sudden isn’t it? Where do you have to go to, not far I hope? Montgomery?” Michael asked while trying to guess what David was up to and wondering if the introduction of his cousin had anything to do with this sudden revelation.
“Well no Michael, I can’t say I am going directly to or through Montgomery, I got to go about 120 miles to cover going towards Tuscaloosa. I managed to receive, when the phones were working, a rather odd call from a friend of mine the other day asking me to come up there and help out with some kind of emergency he was involved in and asked for my assistance with. Give me a few minutes guys and I will bring you up to speed as to what is also rocking and rolling my little world besides what you just advised me of.” David said sipping his drink and trying to decide for himself just how to approach describing the touchy situation he had recently found himself in.
“Now David if it can wait until later today or tomorrow, me and Ray really need to get back to my house and help my wife with a few things needing some help and our attention. We can come back in a couple hours if that suits you and discuss plans then or sleep on it and pursue it tomorrow.” Michael said uncomfortably.
Ray had studiously rerouted his trip home to pass any and every military base he could after he heard of the news of the cyber and terrorist attacks that had devastated the country’s electrical grid and infrastructure and had come up with a brilliant solution to help him and his cousin out with the current circumstances. Ray had by wit or guile managed to take full and possibly devious advantage of the initial confusion and chaos the disaster had caused to get what cash he could and buy as much can goods and food as he was allowed from the various commissaries on the bases he visited on the road home.
The military was uniquely capable and set up to handle the nationwide bank cash shortages for goods or services if anyone was accepting such for goods or services and set up their own paymasters to issue an emergency draw of green cash against a personal check of $250 for its service members to ameliorate the crisis. Every training or front line base anywhere h
ad a system at one time to avoid mass people of going to a commercial facility to receive their pay from a government check. It had taken him 99 forever’s to stand around in several well-ordered pay lines to receive his cash against a check and then go shopping for whatever picked over can goods and sacks of flour that remained on the bases grocery stores he had managed to visit and acquire goods from. That this hard earned stash was put on display for them danged Russian security guards as well as this wealth of now irreplaceable goods was still half ass secured and tarped down in the back of his truck vexed him no end. A few favors from old comrades in arms and a couple well placed bribes at the emergency gas dispensaries’ and he was home with his double tanked pickup truck about two thirds full.
Telling David of this glorious accumulated bounty was not something neither he nor Ray wanted to do at all at the moment but they had many concerns that David might be able to advise them on concerning the alleged “hoarding laws” they had been hearing and being warned so much about on the radio. Those Russkies at the plant must have certainly got themselves more than an eye full of alleged prosperity when they pulled that tarp back on Ray’s truck and they had both bet that cagy old Prepper David most likely had some thoughts or advice about the situation and how to maybe make it disappear.
“It sort of can’t wait on inspiration or desperation Ray, see I am going to have to be leaving out in a day or so to parts unknown and we need to get around to discussing about having you and your cousin looking out after my place when I am gone. I could come on over and put this drink down now to help you with whatever it is you are needing to do at this time and then we could talk some more, that is if that would be alright.” David said wondering what the big mystery was that was so pressing and diverting their attention to a street level problem.